Gov. Butch Otter announced on Tuesday Jones had passed away, adding that Jones was always fair and balanced in his judicial temperament.

Otter says Jones was his first Supreme Court appointment in 2007. The two were classmates during their time studying political science at the College of Idaho.

Jones was the 55th justice of the state’s highest court.

Jones retired in 2017 due to personal and family health reasons. He had experience health issues since suffering a stroke in 2014.

At the time of his retirement, Jones said serving as a Supreme Court justice had been a professional highlight of his legal career. He had tried cases before juries in 38 of Idaho’s 44 counties in his 37-year career at a private law firm.